Segment Information (Details) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Nov. 30, 2020 USD ($)	Aug. 31, 2020 USD ($)	May 31, 2020 USD ($)	Feb. 29, 2020 USD ($)	Nov. 30, 2019 USD ($)	Aug. 31, 2019 USD ($)	May 31, 2019 USD ($)	Feb. 28, 2019 USD ($)	Nov. 30, 2020 USD ($) segment	Nov. 30, 2019 USD ($)	Nov. 30, 2018 USD ($)
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues									$ 4,183,174	$ 4,552,747	$ 4,547,002
Pretax income (loss)	$ 126,091	$ 101,315	$ 67,789	$ 68,848	$ 164,967	$ 91,936	$ 56,761	$ 34,511	364,043	348,175	367,965
Equity in income of unconsolidated joint ventures									33,628	10,681	9,367
Inventory Impairments and Land Option Contract Abandonments	11,730	$ 6,888	$ 4,379	$ 5,672	4,148	$ 5,251	$ 4,337	$ 3,555	28,669	17,291	28,994
Inventories:	3,897,482				3,704,602				3,897,482	3,704,602
Total assets	$ 5,356,442				5,015,482				$ 5,356,442	5,015,482
Stearns Lending, LLC | KBHS, LLC
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Ownership interest in joint venture	50.00%								50.00%
Homebuilding:
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of Reportable Segments | segment									4
Revenues									$ 4,167,702	4,537,658	4,533,795
Pretax income (loss)									331,500	325,189	351,301
Equity in income of unconsolidated joint ventures									12,474	(1,549)	2,066
Inventory Impairments and Land Option Contract Abandonments									28,669	17,291	28,994
Inventories:	$ 3,897,482				3,704,602				3,897,482	3,704,602
Investments in unconsolidated joint ventures	46,785				57,038				46,785	57,038
Total assets	5,320,240				4,977,086				5,320,240	4,977,086
Homebuilding: | West Coast
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues									1,748,582	1,912,146	2,085,328
Pretax income (loss)									151,039	178,078	240,337
Equity in income of unconsolidated joint ventures									12,972	(851)	(966)
Inventory Impairments and Land Option Contract Abandonments									21,941	15,567	20,381
Inventories:	1,928,500				1,795,088				1,928,500	1,795,088
Investments in unconsolidated joint ventures	42,762				51,740				42,762	51,740
Total assets	2,057,362				1,925,192				2,057,362	1,925,192
Homebuilding: | Southwest
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues									796,810	764,816	707,075
Pretax income (loss)									133,386	111,016	91,017
Equity in income of unconsolidated joint ventures									(497)	(697)	3,033
Inventory Impairments and Land Option Contract Abandonments									570	408	432
Inventories:	688,807				629,811				688,807	629,811
Investments in unconsolidated joint ventures	1,516				2,792				1,516	2,792
Total assets	738,765				674,310				738,765	674,310
Homebuilding: | Central
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues									1,192,869	1,267,892	1,239,305
Pretax income (loss)									128,802	126,304	117,609
Equity in income of unconsolidated joint ventures									0	0	0
Inventory Impairments and Land Option Contract Abandonments									5,520	848	2,558
Inventories:	867,170				889,179				867,170	889,179
Investments in unconsolidated joint ventures	0				0				0	0
Total assets	998,612				1,035,563				998,612	1,035,563
Homebuilding: | Southeast
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues									429,441	592,804	502,087
Pretax income (loss)									22,950	18,550	7,624
Equity in income of unconsolidated joint ventures									(1)	(1)	(1)
Inventory Impairments and Land Option Contract Abandonments									638	468	5,623
Inventories:	413,005				390,524				413,005	390,524
Investments in unconsolidated joint ventures	2,507				2,506				2,507	2,506
Total assets	448,388				441,451				448,388	441,451
Homebuilding: | Corporate and other
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Pretax income (loss)									(104,677)	(108,759)	$ (105,286)
Total assets	$ 1,077,113				$ 900,570				$ 1,077,113	$ 900,570
Financial services
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of Reportable Segments | segment									1